"Picture Me Rollin'!"

"Picture Me Rollin'" was a song written and performed by the late rapper, poet, & actor, Tupac Amaru Shakur who was shot & killed 12 years ago. Many people wish to only remember him as a thug or misogynist constantly in and out of trouble with the law. These are the people who never really knew him or the struggles that weighed heavy on his heart. Tupac was the epitome of a Gemini, and believe it or not, he encouraged people to strive for the best just as much - if not more than he glorified a negative lifestyle that ultimately cost him his life.

I chose "Picture Me Rollin'!" as the title of this particular post because I was sitting at my desk reflecting on all of the things I have accomplished in my life thus far, and I realized that I have achieved every single goal that I set out to achieve. The thing of it is, I did more than just say or affirm "this is what I want to do." I envisioned myself doing these things. I "pictured" myself doing these things. After picturing myself doing the things I said I wanted to do, I began formulating and implementing the actions necessary to manifest those things into reality.

I "pictured" myself being a speaker, standing in front of hundreds of people ... "ALL EYEZ ON ME!" (another 2Pac song) ... And I've made that a reality.

After reading a few of my blogs and hearing some of my smaller speeches, a few of my Toastmasters colleagues suggested that I compile those blogs and speeches and write a book. Originally, I couldn't see it for myself, but I thought about it - and the more I thought about it the more of a picture I began to envision. The more I envisioned what it was I wanted to create the easier it got for me to put pen to paper, and in just about a year and half's time, I self-published and realeased my first book!

I enjoy my present career as a police officer. I even "envisioned" myself doing it before it came to pass. However, being a police officer is what I am doing NOW. It is how I provide a home for my family and a service to society; however, as I approach what I "envision" to be the halfway point of my career, I find myself envisioning what I will be doing and how I will be living when my career has reached its end.

I'm living for the future and using the present to prepare for it. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the future (then) always becomes the present (now). When that happens, the past is what you must look upon with your heart to hold yourself accountable. I am preparing for when "then" becomes "now," and when it does I want to be able to look back and know that I have earned everything I have obtained and become.

What do you want for yourself?
What can you see yourself doing?
What you have to understand is ...
If you can SEE yourself doing something ...
You can BE yourself doing that very thing!

PICTURE ME ROLLIN'!